National compensation for Bali victims ruled out

The federal government would not compensate victims of the Bali bombings, the father of a victim said today.

Adelaide magistrate Brian Deegan, whose son Josh was one of the 88 Australians killed in the blasts, said he was told last night by Jackie Kelly, the parliamentary secretary to the prime minister, that proposals for a national compensation scheme for the victims of terrorist acts had been rejected.

Mr Deegan told ABC radio this would lead to inequities.

He said all states had criminal compensation schemes, but they had different rules.

While South Australia included the victims of international terrorism, other states had a narrower base.

This meant that a person living on one side of the South Australian-Victorian border would receive compensation while someone on the other side would not.

"That is simply quite inequitable," he said.

Mr Deegan said the victims were the cream of Australia's youth.

"They died and were injured because they were Australians," he said.

"Many people have lost a great chance in life and that's never going to be recoverable.